The passengers and crew in cruise liners have high expectations with regard to communication, information and entertainment. This includes Intranet/Internet access, an e-mail system, web-based information systems, games, and the availability of an extensive range of video and audio applications at all times.
The present situation for network solutions on board a cruise liner is described by a large number of service functions and individual networks which are distributed throughout the entire ship. At the moment, virtually every service has its own independent network. This means separate wiring for each service, and therefore major effort for installation work. In addition, each server has its own network components, thus making it highly complex and expensive to maintain these networks.